Help me convert a Manhattanite

phosphene · July 2008

So I'm seeing this guy who lives in Manhattan and I want to establish right away that my neighborhood is better so I don't have to drag myself all the way to the UWS all the time if things get serious. (He's the type that has lived in NYC for like 15 years and during that time has visited Brooklyn about 5 times.)

Anyway, where should I take him when he comes out tonight? He's kind of a foodie and I'm not, really, so I can use any suggestions I can get. We're going for drinks on Vanderbilt and then dinner nearby... I know variants of this question have been asked a zillion times before, but, well, I need help. Should we go to Beast? Franny's? James?

caaahyoko · July 2008

I would get him hooked on something he can't find up there. Some good Caribbean food, perhaps?

new2hood · July 2008

Stonehome. Mmmmmm.

karl the druid · July 2008

you can't change a man's mind with food

you might stand a better chance if you shortened the bridge

belzjm · July 2008

i've had great luck with getting people to fall in love with brooklyn after a evening at al di la.

don't sit in the side room, wait for a table in the main dining room, then stroll down 5th avenue after dinner and walk up 3rd street, then up prospect park west to grand army plaza....

where you going on vanderbilt...? weather up?

as a former uwsider...now a park sloper...there is hope. i wouldn't go back to manhattan if you paid me a million bucks.

meganlibrarian · July 2008

Karl the Druid wrote: you can't change a man's mind with food

you might stand a better chance if you shortened the bridge

... or shortened the length of Manhattan.

phosphene · July 2008

Yeah, I was thinking Weather Up... I live right off Grand Army Plaza, so the Al Di La loop might work well...

ch_smooth · July 2008

beer table to get sauced, then al di la to eat.

tell him there are no trees in manhattan

possibly_maybe · July 2008

eww, UWS?

A few people I know have been moving up there because of the relatively cheap housing for Manhattan.

I don't like the place at all. UE and UWS feel so stale and characterless to me.

Bring him around in the early evening, when it's still light & there's lots of people out & about. Take a stroll, grab some food, check out the park... this area of Brooklyn (particularly the PS areas) reallllly has a nice quaint small-townish feel (relatively speaking), which is hard not to be charmed by.

If he's not converted, he's simply not worth it.

poppy13 · July 2008

Depends on the boy... does he want to go to a place that sells beer cheaper than the city or would he like Weather Up even if it's pricey? Not enough information to clearly answer your request.

Haven't been to Al Di La yet. they got a web site? Good stuff?

By the way... every time I hit up Sepia I never get home sober. Love that joint.

belzjm · July 2008

i agree that it's difficult not to be charmed by the general park slope area...

al di la is fantastic, poppy. my favorite restaurant in brooklyn.

be careful with beer table. i went last night for the first time and while i loved the space and the owners, it seems that their air conditioning is broken as it was ridiculously hot in there. you might want to call ahead to check if it's working.

opossumqueen · July 2008

If you go to Al di la, take him to Bierkraft on 5th Ave..the beer/cheese/chocolate options here might wow him.

belzjm · July 2008

if you're into it, check out Oko for a little dessert...

http://www.okoyogurt.com/

plucky purcell · July 2008

a 'foodie' who lives on the UWS and has been to brooklyn only 5 times in 15 years? i always thought foodies were more adventurous about outer boroughs in the quest for awesome food and undiscovered restaurants.

he sounds like a douchebag. and worse: a transplant yuppie douchebag. my advice: dump him!

or take him to James, have him pay for you, and then dump him! problem solved.

phosphene · July 2008

Well, I am kind of a yuppie myself (although a nice one who loves Brooklyn?) so I can't throw too many stones. And I'm thinking he's more a wine person than a beer person. Also, this dinner date is supposed to be a pull out all the stops thing before we don't see each other for a while (both traveling) so I'm not too concerned about price, just really really good food in a great atmosphere... Ideally in a location that shows off the great Brooklyn neighborhood feel. So I am seriously considering Al Di La... Although James will be so close, I can't decide.

moufaisbad · July 2008

da dun da daaaaaa
ive done it.
my gf lived on the UWS for 10 years.. She owned her apartment and she had outside space.
She is not only now a Prospect Heights fan, we are looking to buy a place together in the hood.
But I'm pretty sure it wasnt the food or bars in the hood that made her want to live here though
just sayin....
:twisted:

phosphene · July 2008

moufaisbad wrote: da dun da daaaaaa
ive done it.
my gf lived on the UWS for 10 years.. She owned her apartment and she had outside space.
She is not only now a Prospect Heights fan, we are looking to buy a place together in the hood.
But I'm pretty sure it wasnt the food or bars in the hood that made her want to live here though
just sayin....
:twisted:

Yeah, I am hoping there will be other "enticements" as well... I'm just trying to consider the whole package.

arches · July 2008

phosphene wrote: Well, I am kind of a yuppie myself (although a nice one who loves Brooklyn?) so I can't throw too many stones. And I'm thinking he's more a wine person than a beer person. Also, this dinner date is supposed to be a pull out all the stops thing before we don't see each other for a while (both traveling) so I'm not too concerned about price, just really really good food in a great atmosphere... Ideally in a location that shows off the great Brooklyn neighborhood feel. So I am seriously considering Al Di La... Although James will be so close, I can't decide.

Hmm, self-admitted, price-insensitive yuppie who lives just off Grand Army Plaza...are you on the early admission list at the Meier building?? :P

I'd do the James, Weather Up route.

sneakyonstmarks · July 2008

I would say that if you want an intimate experience trying going to The Garden Cafe and then to Weathered up. Or try going to Otto on Smith, Saul or Clover clubs for amazing drinks and small plates.
Good Luck

flux · July 2008

UES?! Are you kidding me? ANY PLACE IN BROOKLYN IS BETTER THEN THAT BLEND AREA!

My sister just moved up there with her fiance and hates it!

booklaw · July 2008

I second the Garden Cafe. Food is excellent and the place is tiny/intimate.

deedee · July 2008

How about a nice quartino of wine at Beast, a stroll through the neighborhood, followed by dinner at Tempo on 5th Avenue in Park Slope and then coffee and dessert at the Chocolate Room.

khuntiennang · July 2008

im not a foodie myself so i can't suggest anything.
but besides just eating or drinking, probably you could bring him for a stroll and show him around the neighborhood, especially on the strip where there are a lot of interesting restaurants (or shops?), and maybe after that there'll be excuse to drag him to brooklyn more often to check out those other restaurants?

moufaisbad · July 2008

hmmm Tempo? i can think of better places on this side of the plaza. Im surprised no one has said Aliseo Osteria. Or do we hate Osteria now? God i hate being away so long....
anyway. i ate there for the first time about a month ago and it was sooooo yummy. Id be impressed if someone took me there.
My vote would be Osteria and Beast for more drinks.

amandalovesbk · July 2008

If he wants da Phosphene, he needs to come to da Phosphene. End of story :-)

Caaahyoko is right...get him hooked on something...I say hooked on da Phosphene!

sneakyonstmarks · July 2008

Can`t sleep eating more left overs in my undies, thank god no one is home. HAHHAHA.. Where did you guys end up going?

arches · July 2008

sneakyonstmarks wrote: Can`t sleep eating more left overs in my undies, thank god no one is home. HAHHAHA.. Where did you guys end up going?

Shhhh, no questions until tomorrow morning...you dont want to disrupt the "other enticements", do you?!?

phosphene · July 2008

So we went to Weather Up and James... It was great, he seemed to love Weather Up and even said how beautiful the brownstone-lined streets are... And I am SO SLEEPY. Let's just say it seems that all the enticements were, on the whole, successful.

moufaisbad · July 2008

wooohoooo
good job!
Im going to James tonight with a few friends but then i guess i should skip weatherup.
they are not 'that kind' of friends.
maybe we can get my gf and your (soon to be- if not already) bf together and they can commiserate about how much they miss all the frat boys on the UWS.

karl the druid · July 2008

you need one of those stargates

am I too late?

phosphene · July 2008

Karl the Druid wrote: you need one of those stargates

am I too late?

I'm not sure why no one has invented a teleporter yet. It seems like this should be right up there on humanity's priority list.

Help me convert a Manhattanite

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